With its unique in-built beauty, it is hardly surprising that old glass is one of the most popular collecting fields. Glass is to be found everywhere, from delicate wineglasses designed to make drinking a pleasure to ornamental lamps that illuminate and decorate. This book is a valuable starting point for enthusiasts. It tells you where to hunt for bargains and how to add rarities to a growing collection. An important section offers tips on what is available within any price range. It is filled with invaluable advice. How do you spot repairs or re-polishing? How can you avoid the proliferation of fakes while you learn to distinguish fine glass from ordinary? John Sandon's sensible guidance will prevent many costly mistakes. This book tells the whole story of glass, from its discovery in ancient Egypt right through to the fascinating world of the twentieth century and post-war design. The text is concise, informative and above all readable, written in the accessible style that makes John Sandon's book so popular. His carefully chosen illustrations, all in colour, provide stunning contrasts between fine old Venetian and Art Nouveau masterpieces and quite ordinary decanters and Victorian moulded bottles. Alongside costly rarities, one of the strengths of this book is the inclusion of inexpensive novelty glass anyone can find easily and cheaply. This book is aimed at the beginner on a modest budget as well as at established collectors.